Hacks/Hackers: An evening with Stamen Design

Hacks/Hackers is proud to present an evening with Stamen Design, a design and technology studio that has earned international renown for its projects that transform data into art.

Stamen’s recent journalism-related work included a project with NBC to visualize Twitter for the Olympics, historical hurricane maps for MSNBC, and also SF Crimespotting and Oakland Crimespotting, projects to display police data. They are also looking to push the boundaries of presenting data in print.

Stamen founder and creative director Eric Rodenbeck will present a selection of the firm’s recent projects and talk about their process. Before founding Stamen in 2001, Eric led the interactive storytelling and data-driven narrative effort at Quokka Sports, illustrated and designed at Wired Magazine and Wired Books, and was a co-founder of the design collective Umwow.

The Gray Area Foundation for the Arts is a nonprofit dedicated to building social consciousness through digital culture. We are suggesting donations of $5-$20 for their generosity in providing the space, and drinks will also be available for suggested donations.

April 8th, 2010
Schedule:
7-730p: Arrive, drinks and chat
730-830p: Eric’s presentation, Q&A
830p-9: More drinks and networking
9p-whenever: Head to a nearby bar TBD for more talk with good company

About Hacks/Hackers:
Journalists call themselves “hacks,” someone who can churn out words in any situation. Hackers use the digital equivalent of duct tape to whip out code. Hacker-journalists try and bridge the two worlds.

This group is to bring all these people together — those who are working to help people make sense of their world. It’s for hackers exploring technologies to filter and visualize information, and for journalists who use technology to find and tell stories. In the age of information overload, all their work has become even more crucial.

This meetup aims to help members find inspiration and think in new directions, bringing together potential collaborators for projects and new ventures.